20090721-- The Final Mile (2)

The Final Mile

Technology experts often talk about the "last mile" problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs, it's relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely populated areas. The handful of Internet subscribers they would reach wouldn't justify the expense. But every year, technological advancements allow broadband access to reach more and more people.

Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technology aren't available everywhere. Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables promise to bring blisteringly fast Internet connections to more users. Still, the last mile remains elusive. There will always be somewhere that doesn't have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter.
If the rapid progress in cell phone technolog is any indication, it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.

sparse adj. 稀少的
sparsely adv. 稀少地/稀疏地
=> there are very very few
eg: Susan sat on the only chair in the middle of the sparsely decorated room.
eg: This sparsely populated area has no freeway.
eg: Dave just moved here, so his house is still sparsely furnished.

just adj.公平的
justify v. 証明...正當的/有充分理由的
=> have good reason
eg: The buses here are so quick that it is hard to justify owing a car.
eg: Higher productivity can justify the cost of purchasing new machines.
eg: No matter the reasons, you cannot justify your rudeness toward your parents.

blistering adj. 極高的/極快的
blisteringly adv. 極度地(大都用來修飾形容或是副詞)
=> very fast, extremely fast
eg: Sam was blisteringly quick and won the race easily.
eg: The cars raced by blisteringly fast.
eg: No one can work in such blisteringly harsh weather conditions.

elusive adj. 難以捉摸的
=> hard to define, difficult to describe
eg: Sandra is so elusive that it's hard to find her.

reluctant adj. 不情願的/勉強的[+to-v]
=> hesitant
eg: I'm reluctant to give up the game.

handful n. 少數/少量

//== Chat room ==//

the final mile

stretch n. 運動場上跑道直線的部份
the final stretch (接近終點的直線跑道)引申出來的意思為最後階段
eg: She's the final stretch of pregnancy. 懷孕的最後階段

the eleventh hour 最後時刻(常用來形容截止前的時刻)
=> the time before you run out of time